Coos County, NH Roof Snow Load - Case Study Area
Why doesn't Coos County have a snow load number?
Coos County sits in the mountain-west terrain where ASCE 7-22 §7.2 itself declines to give a contour figure - elevation changes too fast over short distances there for one number per county to mean anything. The code requires a site-specific study for a building here, not a look-up.
Coos County, FIPS 33007, is home to 31,094 people - one of 386 US counties ASCE 7 itself routes around a map figure for.
Coos County, NH: quick facts
- Population31,094
- Annual snowfall, NOAA normal281.8 in.
- FIPS33007
Typical snowfall in Coos County, NH
NOAA's 30-year normal for Coos County: 281.8 in. of snow a year, from the MT WASHINGTON, NH US station. 26.7 mi is a real gap between Coos County and its nearest reporting station, so local snowfall can diverge from this figure, especially near elevation changes. (fresh vs. packed vs. ice explains why.)
What this Coos County figure assumes
This is a county-level reference figure for a typical heated home built to Risk Category II (ordinary residential), on a partially exposed lot - the assumptions ASCE 7-22 itself treats as the default case. A steeper roof, a fully exposed hilltop lot, an unheated structure, or a higher risk category all change the actual number.
Coos County's permit office wants an address-specific figure, not this county average - the ASCE 7 Hazard Tool is free, takes under a minute, and outputs a PDF most reviewers accept. (How this figure is calculated.)